New South Wales Under-16's rugby league team
# New South Wales Under-16's rugby league team

The New South Wales Under-16's rugby league team, also known as New South Wales Under-16s or New South Wales U16, represents New South Wales in the sport of rugby league at an under-16 age level. Since 2008, the team has played an annual fixture against the Queensland Under-16s team as a curtain raiser to a State of Origin game. The team features players selected from New South Wales's premier under-16 rugby league competition, the Harold Matthews Cup and Andrew Johns Cup. They are administered by the New South Wales Rugby League.

## History

Prior to 2008, junior interstate matches were contested at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2008, with the advent of the National Youth Competition, the age levels switched to an under-16 and under-18 format to keep in line with the NSWRL's existing S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions and the QRL's Mal Meninga Cup and Cyril Connell Cup competitions, which would begin in 2009.

New South Wales saw success in the first under-16 Origin fixture in 2008. They recorded their first defeat a year later, losing 30-10 in 2009 at Etihad Stadium. From 2010 to 2013, New South Wales would win four games consecutively before losing both fixtures against Queensland in 2014 and 2015. Since 2015 New South Wales have won every under-16 Origin fixture, in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

## Players

Players selected for the New South Wales under-16 team are usually contracted with a National Rugby League (NRL) side and, until 2017, played in the Harold Matthews Cup. Occasionally players who are contracted to Queensland-based NRL sides, who play in the Cyril Connell Cup, are selected. Each pre-season the New South Wales Rugby League will select an under-16 squad featuring players in contention for the mid-season fixture.

## Results

### 2008

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2008 State of Origin series.

* 21 May 2008

| New South Wales U16 | 30–16 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Jacob Miller 2 William Hopoate 1 Vaipuna Tia Kilifi 1 Jason Wehbe 1 Goals Jason Wehbe 3 Harry Siejka 2 | Report | Tries Josh Batilabasi 1 Benn Malley 1 Korbin Sims 1 Goals Mitchell Frei 2 |

* ANZ Stadium, Sydney

### 2009

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2009 State of Origin series.

* 3 June 2009

| New South Wales U16 | 10–30 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Jordan Malaki 1 Ryan Wilson 1 Goals Sam Short 1 | Report | Tries Mitch Ardler 2 Luke Abdul-Rahman 1 Rian Diffey 1 Andrew Shipway 1 Jordan Tighe 1 Goals Sam Foster 3 |

* Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Referee: Nick Morel

### 2010

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2010 State of Origin series.

* 7 July 2010

| New South Wales U16 | 24–14 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Robbie Kamoto 1 Tyrone Phillips 1 Kelepi Tanginoa 1 Joshua Walker 1 Goals Clinton Gutherson 4 | Report | Tries Anthony Milford 2 Jordan Dulay 1 Goals Scott Doyle 1 |

* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Jon Stone

### 2011

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2011 State of Origin series.

* 25 May 2011

| Queensland U16 | 16–18 | New South Wales U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Jack Anderson 1 Luke Bateman 1 Ryan Mitchell 1 Goals Duncan Paia'aua 2 | Report | Tries Bradley Deitz 1 John Fomai 1 Dylan Russell 1 Goals Brendan Cox 2 Dee Jay Harris 1 |

* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

### 2012

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2012 State of Origin series.

* 23 May 2012

| New South Wales U16 | 30–16 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Travis Edwards 1 Robert Jennings 1 Dillon Khoury 1 Tevita Pangai 1 David Sheridan 1 Alex Twal 1 Goals Jackson Hastings 3 | Report | Tries Cooper Bambling 1 Simione Fatafehi 1 Sam Smith 1 Goals Sheldon Bobbert 2 |

* Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Referee: Mick Laverty

### 2013

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2013 State of Origin series.

* 5 June 2013

| New South Wales U16 | 30–0 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Jesse Ramien 2 Jack Cogger 1 Gabe Hamlin 1 Latrell Mitchell 1 Reimis Smith 1 Goals Brock Lamb 3 | Report | |

* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski

### 2014

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2014 State of Origin series.

* 28 May 2014

| Queensland U16 | 20–18 | New South Wales U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Jason Chapman 1 Sato Ketia Opo 1 Syd Smith 1 Enari Tuala 1 Goals Steven Tatipata 2 | Report | Tries Sione Hopoate 1 Cameron Murray 1 Katoni Staggs 1 Goals Brendan O'Hagan 3 |

* Suncorp Stadium, Queensland

### 2015

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2015 State of Origin series.

* 27 May 2015

| New South Wales U16 | 6–10 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Campbell Graham 1 Goals Luke Metcalf 1 | Report | Tries Nathan Barrett 1 Travis Turnbull 1 Goals Travis Turnbull 1 |

* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Daniel Olford

### 2016

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2016 State of Origin series.

* 1 June 2016

| New South Wales U16 | 12 - 10 | Queensland U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries William Kei 1 Bronson Xerri 1 Goals Jock Madden 2 | Report | Tries Dejzha Pene 1 Jonathan Siofele 1 Goals Cory Paix 1 |

* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Todd Smith

### 2017

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2017 State of Origin series.

* 12 July 2017

| Queensland U16 | 16 - 22 | New South Wales U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Alofiana Khan-Pereira 2 Will Evans 1 Goals Ezra Coulston 2 | Report | Tries Bradman Best 1 Blake Dowel 1 Cooper Jenkins 1 Aaron Schoupp 1 Goals Aaron Schoupp 3 |

* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Referee: Dan Munroe

### 2018

Played as a curtain raiser to the Round 18 Brisbane Broncos-Warriors game.

* 15 July 2018

| Queensland U16 | 14 - 28 | New South Wales U16 |
| - | - | - |
| Tries Tyrone Sa'u 1 Keegan Vandenberg 1 Reece Walsh 1 Goals Reece Walsh 1 | Report | Tries Thomas Cant 1 Noah Griffiths 1 Viliami Penisini 1 Zion Tauasa 1 Kaeo Weekes 1 Goals Donovan Boney 4 |

* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Referee: Jordan Morel
